"Information like lab results can empower patients to track their health progress, make decisions with their healthcare professionals, and adhere to important treatment plans," she said in a statement.

The new rule seeks to cut out on the middleman — the doctor's office — because a lot of information can get lost in translation. According to a 2009 study in The Archives of Internal Medicine, one out of 14 patients never learned about their negative test results from their doctor, either because of an oversight or because the doctor was unable to reach the patient.

Under the new policy, patients may request to receive their lab results via email, a secure website, or through an application to their smart phone. They can also ask for a hard copy of the results, but might have to pay for postage, according to USA Today.

Some medical providers, however, think the new rule could do patients more harm than good because they might not always be able to properly interpret the results. For example, a typical blood test could display more than two dozen different levels, along with a control line for the normal range.